In recent years a lion share of the political commentary on education has focused on the need for expanding funding and access to early childhood education. At the same time, however, tackling early childhood education while ignoring adult education is equally as detrimental. Just as a lack of early learning impacts that child for years into the future, so do households with parents lacking the education necessary to guide their children’s academic growth. Beyond that, ignoring adult education has meant leaving generations behind and accepting a paradoxical economy with devastatingly high unemployment and jobs that can’t be filled by laborers without the skills they need to get them.

About 52 million adults — nearly half of the nation’s workforce — has only a high school education or less, according to a McGraw-Hill Research Foundation report. (Even worse, 25 million workers ages 18 to 64 don’t have a high school diploma or GED.) The problem is especially acute for adults who are English learners. As of 2010, only 63 percent of Latinos over the age of 25 have a high school diploma, compared to 87 percent of whites. And the U.S. Department of Labor is predicting a shortage of more than 35 million skilled and educated workers over the next 30 years. Investing in adult education is a matter of national necessity, yet almost every state in the country continues to treat it as an ad hoc responsibility, appropriating funds outside the main public and charter school per-pupil financing of our schools — except for one: the District of Columbia.

D.C. is the only jurisdiction in the country that allows charter schools to serve adult populations, meaning that a school like mine — which provides both GED and ESL (English as a Second Language) courses to disconnected youth ages 16-24 — can be fully funded on public dollars. This also includes schools like Carlos Rosario that serves adults of all ages. Because so many of the adults in need of these programs are likely to have children as well, perhaps the most promising models are the family literacy programs where adults with young children can attend school and learn together. A good example of this is Briya Public Charter School, where adult immigrants can learn English, computer skills, parenting, and civic skills while their children attend preschool in the room next door. It’s a holistic approach to tackling the underlying class issues and breaking the cycle of under-education.

While most states prohibit per-pupil funding for adult education, arguing that it drains money from the K-12 system, some state laws are simply silent on the matter. In Indiana, for example, the Excel Charter Schools, run by Goodwill, acquired state funding for their adult “recovery” programs since the state did not specifically ban the use of charter funds for adult education. This, however, triggered the state assembly to reconsider adult funding amid fears that it would divert too much money away from K-12 and put a strain on state finances. In Texas, where Goodwill would like to start similar adult education schools, state law only finances charter schools with students under the age of 26.

“Why do we give up on somebody when they turn 25?” Traci Berry, the vice president of development for Goodwill in Central Texas, asks in the Texas Tribune. “We want people to still be educated, we want to prepare them for life, we want to give them the training and the skills, to be able to say here they are, able to contribute.”

In California the state charter laws regarding funding for adult education are so narrow that prison programs that aim to transition inmates back into society are some of the only ones given public dollars for adult education. Legislators in Florida, where concerns also center on the impact to K-12, have also fought for adult charter funding.

We cannot see this as a zero-sum game where if adults win, children lose or vice versa. The truth is that for states, funding adult education nearly pays for itself. The state of Utah, for example, found that by appropriating $9 million in adult education in 2011-12, it provided education services to 21,005 adults. Of those students, 4,047 earned their GED or adult education diploma, yielding each graduate an average earning potential of $33,695, which is expected to result in an extra $7 million in tax revenue. (Imagine the return on investment with a higher success rate and more widespread adoption.) The bottom line: The revenue needed to make this investment won’t put states in the hole — only inaction will do that.

To think that students like mine and so many more adults who may not have the money to pay for education — but have the drive and dedication to contribute more to society and build themselves a better life — wouldn’t have this chance if they were anywhere outside of D.C. is tragic. It’s time for states to take action to ensure full per-pupil funding for adult education within the charter system. So what can you do to make it happen? Lobby your representatives, write a letter, share this blog post, and the next time the conversation turns to the importance of early childhood education, remind your friends, family, and colleagues not to leave adults behind.

Scott Goldstein is a social studies and ESL teacher at a D.C. public charter school. He can be reached via email or Twitter.

One more reason for the necessity - three out of four crimes in America are committed by High School dropouts. http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-high-school-dropout-rates

Another issue not getting the attention it deserves that goes hand in hand is ELL education. Read about it here- http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/why-doesn-t-english-language-learning-have-the-same-cachet-as-pre-k

If we're going to allow the market to dictate which industries are going to win and lose; if we're going to allow for fluidity in the employment marketplace; and we're going to encourage a great deal of turnover and entrepreneurship (as we have been) which drastically changes the makeup of our entire economy on a regular basis, then it's going to be necessary to educate adults. Especially those adults providing labor and services that are not easily transferable. And since those services are generally the least-well paid, we're going to need to provide that education as a public good.

It seems like common sense. But we all know how far common sense gets you in politics.

great article. so great to see that there are a few corners in this country that get it: we don't stop learning when we hit 25, and for so many of us, learning doesn't begin til then.

as a GED teacher in San Fran, I'm often so frustrated that my funding limits my intake to 25. As a program, we ignore this limit, because we find that many of our "older" students are the ones who follow through.

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YEP-DC is a nonpartisan group of education professionals who work in research, policy, and practice – and even outside of education. The views expressed here are only those of the attributed author, not YEP-DC. This blog aims to provide a forum for our group’s varied opinions. It also serves as an opportunity for many more professionals in DC and beyond to participate in the ongoing education conversation. We hope you chime in, but we ask that you do so in a considerate, respectful manner. We reserve the right to modify or delete any content or comments. For any more information or for an opportunity to blog, contact us via one of the methods below.

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MONICA GRAY is co-founder & president of DreamWakers, an edtech nonprofit. She writes on education innovation and poverty.

LYDIA HALL is a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she works on education, civil rights, and other issues. Lydia is interested in helping to bridge the gap between Capitol Hill and the classroom.

MOSES PALACIOS is an advocate for student rights and works as a Research Manager for the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) - a coalition of urban school districts across the nation. He writes on issues regarding the children of immigrants and students learning English as a second language. His views are his own and not representative of CGCS.

PATRICIA RUANE is aresearch associate at an education nonprofit. She is an editor of Recess. ​LESLIE WELSH is a high school social studies teacher in DC. She is an editor of Recess.